Do I need to vaccinate my cat every year?

[Emma081983]

Hi, my cat is due for his annual booster and before I arrange an appointment with my vet I was wondering if other cat owners think annual boosters are necessary. I've been researching this online and read that if a vet says a cat needs to be vaccinated every year then the vet isn't doing their job right because apparently annual vaccinations are unnecessary and they could cause more harm than good. I've also read that cats should be vaccinated every 3 to 5 years. I haven't got a financial problem with vaccinating my cat every year but I would like to do what's best for my cat. My cat is about 5 years old (rescue cat), is an outdoor cat and he occasionally gets into a few fights with other cats in the neighbourhood.

[mollykins]

I have a dog, and apparently it isn't necessary to vacicnate her every year, to stop her from catching something, but if we want to put her in kennels (and if you'd want to put your cat in a cattery) they will almsot always want to have the animal up-to-date and vaccinated within the last year.

But then, if you go more than a year, you have to have two lots of injections done, so it might work out mroe expensive, if you go on holiday every 2 years for example.

[mollykins]

I would think the same applies to cats and dogs, would you? its jsut that msot cats would have smaller doses than dogs, unless they were a little terrier or something.

[milliezoe]

I have two rescue cats and three years has been fine with both of them they go outside and interact with the neighbours cats sadly Zoe who is sixteen now is very quiet these days am concerned for her but reluctant to take her to the vet for obvious reasons

[B00]

I've always had my dogs and cats vaccinated when they were puppies/kittens but never after their first lot.

[k8bailey]

I've never had a cat vaccinated and not one of them has ever had any of the illnesses that the vaccination would have protected them from. Maybe all of my cats (and my Mother and Grandmother's cats) have just been lucky, but they've all been outdoor cats, all had fights and been hunting.

I doubt any harm will come to your cat if you do not get the booster, but its a descision only you can make!

[Emma081983]

Thanks for letting me know about catteries mollykins. This is useful because we're due to go on holiday this summer and I'm going to be looking around catteries soon.

[mollykins]

I assume the same applies to catteries as kennels, but i do think that there are a couple of months leeway in which you can still just have a booster rather than starting again, i think its 18months for my dog but it might be different for cats.

[woofgang]

if you cat is insured, it might be part of the policy requirements, it is for our dogs

[237SJ]

Think it`s best to vaccinate them every year. I had a cat years ago who I didn`t bother vaccinating apart from when he was very young. When he was put down the vet said he thought he had Feline Aids. I`m not sure but I think there`s a jab for that. For the sake of how much it would have cost I should have had him done.
If you want to put a cat in a cattery you will have to have the Trivet vaccine or they won`t take him. Best to err on the side of caution for a beloved pet I think

[boxtops]

Mine are vaccinated every year. I had two cats a long while ahgo who caught cat flu whilst in a cattery and I would never take that risk again. It's only once a year and the vet gives them a quick MoT while they are there, too.

[DSJ]

Our cat is vaccinated every year & the vet sends us a card to remind us when it is due. We use a cattery when we go on holiday & cats aren't accepted there unless they have been vaccinated. It's a bit expensive but worth it for peace of mind.

[ganesh]

They are ANNUAL boosters and to keep your cats from catching anything serious (which is obviously why they insist on them at catteries). It's up to you whether or not you want to take the risk,as with human vaccinations. I do mine every year and they get a good check up at the same time.